


Witness Protection

by canthelpmyselves



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Len is a softie, M/M, POV Barry Allen, POV Leonard Snart, Pining, Trans Character, very little angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:55:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29789508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canthelpmyselves/pseuds/canthelpmyselves
Summary: Barry is under threat and Len cuts a deal with Captain Singh to protect Barry in exchange for wiping his records. Barry reluctantly goes along with it because he doesn’t want to put his family and friends in danger. Unbeknownst to him, Len has an ulterior motive.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart
Comments: 4
Kudos: 76





	1. We Have A Deal?

Barry Allen stared at his captain in absolute shock. This was a joke, right? It had to be. There was no way that Captain Singh was serious! He turned to look at the other ‘captain’ in the room, (this one more of a dis-honorary title than official) who was watching Barry smugly. That look, alone, was enough to make Barry shake his head. 

“No! That’s… It’s insane! You can’t put someone under the protection of a known criminal!” he argued. “Plus, he’s supposed to be in jail!”

“Barry,” Captain Singh began, pinching the bridge of his nose, “listen to me. You have been targeted. There is a contract out for your head. You. Barry Allen, CSI. Not the Flash.”

Barry’s eyes opened even wider and he gave Singh an alarmed look. Singh just rolled his eyes. “Snart knows your identity. He told me so when he told me about the contract. Apparently you two have some sort of agreement wherein he stops killing and you keep the police off his back.”

Barry blushed at the slight censure in his boss’ voice, and began rubbing the back of his neck. “Ummm...”

“Cool it, Scarlet,” Snart interrupted. “Look, it’s simple. Poppa Santini has put out a 5 mil hit on your head. He wants you dead before you can testify against his darling son. I’m not too fond of the idea of Central without it’s favorite red speedster, so I’ll keep you breathing until the trial.”

“And what are you getting out of this?” Barry hissed. “Don’t tell me you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart!”

Snart smirked widely. “Barry! I’m wounded.”

“Not yet,” Barry growled back at him. 

Captain Singh sighed, facing Barry. “Look, you are our key witness in this trial. I need to keep you safe. Yes, I know that with your powers you are safer, but think of those around you,” he pointed out. “Who would you rather have in danger? Snart, who can defend himself, or Iris?”

Barry paused and ran a hand down his face. “Okay, I get it,” he mumbled. 

Snart moved across the room and slung an arm around Barry’s shoulders. “It’ll be just like a buddy comedy,” he teased. “Central’s very own Odd Couple.”

Barry groaned and shrugged Snart’s arm off of him. “Whatever. Do I at least get to tell my family what is happening?”

Singh shook his head. “I’ll put out the story that you are being loaned out to the Gotham PD for a case. No one is allowed to contact you because of the sensitivity of the case there.”

Barry sighed heavily and gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. I’ll go pack a bag.”

Snart grinned widely. “I’ll help, buddy.”

Barry glared at him fiercely. “I hate you.”

Snart just smirked wider and pulled a ballcap on. He slipped on a pair of sunglasses and opened the captain’s door. “After you, pal.”

*~*

Barry had assumed they would have to leave Central, but the last thing he expected was that Snart had made arrangements for them to stay in a cabin in the mountains. He grabbed his bag from the trunk of the car and followed the thief inside. The main room was large and spacious with a small fireplace and a little kitchen nook. There were two doors in the back. Stairs between them led to an open loft. Barry walked to the back and opened one of the doors and discovered a bathroom. He opened the other and found himself looking at the woods. Barry closed the door and turned to look at Len who was filling a kettle with water.

“Snart? Where are the bedrooms?” he asked tiredly.

Snart turned and looked at Barry innocently. “Upstairs.”

Barry pointedly looked up at the loft before crossing his arms and glaring at his nemesis. “And how many beds are there up there?”

Snart had the audacity to grin smugly. “One. Don’t worry, Scarlet. It’s a king size. Plenty of room.”

Barry tensed and did his best to keep himself calm. “One bed?”

Snart rolled his eyes and turned back to put the kettle on the stove. “We’re hiding from the mob and your big concern is how many beds there are?”

Barry opened his mouth, but quickly clamped it shut again. He wasn’t about to explain himself to his own enemy. Any strong objections he made would require an explanation. Well, at least the place had a big couch. He gritted his teeth and walked over to the couch in front of the fireplace. He dropped his bag beside it and sat down, scrubbing his face with his hands. After a couple of minutes he decided the best thing he could do was try and relax. 

With that in mind, he pulled out his phone to check his emails. No connection. He grabbed his tablet from the bag and powered it up. No connection. “Snart? Is there wifi here?” he asked with an impending sense of doom.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” Snart replied sarcastically.

Barry barely resisted the urge to facepalm. “Is there a computer?”

“Again, middle of nowhere,” Snart chuckled. “Bored already?”

“Is there at least a TV?” Barry asked, and no, he was not whining!

“Hmm. Not sure,” Snart mused.

Barry sighed and grabbed a book from his bag. Guess he was going old school, then.


	2. Which Side of the Bed?

Leonard put on a kettle for tea before turning to study Barry. The younger man was curled up on the couch, reading a book. To be honest, he had expected more of a fight about the sleeping arrangements, not that there was much Barry could do about it. Personally, Len was looking forward to finding out if the hero slept in boxers or briefs. Whether he was restless or a cuddler. Most of all, he wanted to know what it felt like to hold Barry close. 

Len might lie to others. He might con them. He might mislead them. One thing he never did was lie to himself. He had acknowledged from the very beginning that he was attracted to the Flash. That attraction grew with each encounter they had. By the time his bastard father had come after him and Lisa, Len was neck deep in a full blown crush like he hadn’t experienced since middle school. When Barry had visited him in prison and told him there was good in him, Len wished he could reach through that glass and kiss the younger man senseless. 

The moment he had heard about the hit on Barry, he had begun planning on how to keep the speedster safe. His first thought was to break out of Iron Heights and tell him and his team, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Barry was just stubborn enough and self-sacrificing enough to try and take on the mob. His second idea was to simply kidnap Barry and keep him out of harm’s way. He rejected that idea because he knew there was no possible way for him to keep an unwilling speedster under lock and key outside of freezing his feet to the floor. Then he hit on this plan. It would present him with the most benefits. 

One, he would get to spend the next eleven days with Barry, unimpeded. Two, his records would, once again, be wiped clean. Three, team Flash was going to owe him a favor. Four, did he mention the eleven days, alone, with the object of his lusts?

While the water heated up for tea, Len took his bag upstairs and unpacked. The cabin was actually Mick’s, borrowed with the pyro’s permission and the oh-so-helpful advice of ‘just fuck him already’. The loft wasn’t very big, but had a closet, the massive bed and a large weapons trunk at the foot of the bed. Once he had put away his clothes and the cold gun, keeping his Glock on him as a precaution, he took his toiletries downstairs.

“I left plenty of room for your clothes in the closet,” he said calmly as he passed Barry.

Barry barely even glanced up at him, his cheeks a light pink. “I’ll unpack later,” he mumbled.

Len smirked as he entered the bathroom. Barry was embarrassed. That meant he was already picturing them sharing the loft. Maybe his crush wasn’t completely one-sided. He had hoped it was mutual, considering the way Barry always got flustered during their battles. Len placed his things on the sink or in the shower caddie and went back to the kitchen. The water was steaming so he made two cups of tea and began putting together a few sandwiches. It was too late to worry about cooking a big meal. The sun was already down and the moon was starting to rise. 

He heard Barry moving around and turned in time to watch him crouching down, starting a fire. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes trailed over the pert bottom and strong thighs on display. Barry got the tinder going and began slowly feeding small pieces of wood to it. Soon he had a decent sized fire going and was able to add in some larger logs. By the time the tea was ready to drink, there was a roaring fire. Len grinned at the romantic setting. He piled the sandwiches on a platter beside the cups and carried it over to the small table. He sat down, grabbed his cup and took a sip. “Hungry?” he asked with a wink.

Barry barely glanced his way before quickly eating a couple of sandwiches and then returning to his book. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

Len was disappointed by the lack of attention, but forged ahead. “I promised to keep you safe, Scarlet. That means feeding you, as well.”

Barry’s eyes flicked toward him and then away. “You never did tell me what you’re getting out of this,” he pointed out.

Len shrugged and picked up a sandwich for himself. “My record is expunged. I’m once again a free man, Scarlet.”

Barry nodded and sipped his tea. “I figured as much.”

Len didn’t want Barry thinking this was a purely selfish deal. “I wasn’t lying, you know. I really don’t want you dead. I could have escaped and left you to deal with this all alone.”

“You think you owe us for Lisa,” Barry guessed wrongly. “Well, you don’t. We helped because we wanted to, not to make you owe us.”

Len shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t like where this conversation was going. “I’m going to shower and go to bed. Any preference to which side of the bed you want?”

Barry blushed and gripped his cup tighter. “No,” he said shortly.

Len finished his sandwich and tea before going back to the bathroom. He showered, shaved and dressed in flannel pants before heading to the loft. He could feel eyes on him as he ascended the stairs, which may have encouraged him to add a little strut to his walk. He slipped between the covers and laid back to wait for Barry to get up the courage to join him.

*~*

Len stared at Barry in disbelief. At some point last night he had fallen asleep, still waiting on Barry to retire. When he woke up this morning, the first thing he noticed was that he was alone. The other side of the bed looked untouched. Worried, he had gotten up and quickly headed down the stairs, only to find his new roommate sound asleep on the couch.

The fire had died down in the night, leaving the cabin a bit cool. The platter and teacups were washed and sitting on the kitchen counter. Barry’s book was on the table, a string marking his place. He had changed out of his sweater and jeans, now wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. He had found a blanket and pillow from somewhere. 

Len wasn’t sure whether to be amused or annoyed. Okay, so his seduction of the Flash was going to take a little longer than he thought. He just had to adjust his plans accordingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barry isn't making things easy for Len. Thank you to everyone for the comments and kudos.


End file.
